44081000 - Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children

Account

Description

FY2010Spending

FY2011GAA

4408-1000

Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children For a program of cash assistance to certain residents of the commonwealth, entitled emergency aid to the elderly, disabled and children found by the department to be eligible for the aid under chapter 117A of the General Laws and regulations promulgated by the department and subject to the limitations of appropriation therefore; provided, that benefits under this item shall only be provided to residents who are citizens of the United States or qualified aliens or non-citizens otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law and shall not be provided to illegal or undocumented aliens; provided further, that the individual shall not be a subject to sponsor income deeming or related restrictions; provided further, that the payment standard shall equal the payment standard in effect under the general relief program in fiscal year 1991; provided further, that the department may provide benefits to persons age 65 or older who have applied for benefits under chapter 118A of the General Laws, to persons suffering from a medically-determinable impairment or combination of impairments which is expected to last for a period as determined by department regulations and which substantially reduces or eliminates such individuals' capacity to support themselves and which has been verified by a competent authority, to certain persons caring for a disabled person, to otherwise eligible participants in the vocational rehabilitation program of the Massachusetts rehabilitation commission and to dependent children who are ineligible for benefits under both chapter 118 of the General Laws and the separate program created by section 210 of chapter 43 of the acts of 1997 and parents or other caretakers of dependent children who are ineligible under said chapter 118 and under said separate program; provided further, that no ex-offender, person over age 45 without a prior work history or person in a residential treatment facility shall be eligible for benefits under this program unless the person otherwise meets the eligibility criteria described in this item and defined by regulations of the department; provided further, that no person incarcerated in a correctional institution shall be eligible for benefits under the program; provided further, that no funds shall be expended from this item for the payment of expenses associated with any medical review team, other disability screening process or costs associated with verifying disability for this program; provided further, that the department shall adopt emergency regulations under chapter 30A of the General Laws to implement the changes to this program required by this item promptly and within the appropriation; provided further, that in initially implementing the program for this fiscal year, the department shall include all eligibility categories permitted in this item at the payment standard in effect for the former general relief program in fiscal year 1991; provided further, that in promulgating, amending or rescinding its regulations with respect to eligibility or benefits, including the payment standard, medical benefits and any other benefits under this program, the department shall take into account the amounts available to it for expenditure by this item so as not to exceed the amount appropriated in this item; provided further, that the department may promulgate emergency regulations under chapter 30A of the General Laws to implement these eligibility or benefit changes or both; provided further, that nothing in this item shall be construed as creating any right accruing to recipients of the former general relief program; provided further, that reimbursements collected from the Social Security Administration on behalf of former clients of the emergency aid to the elderly, disabled and children program or unprocessed payments from the program that are returned to the department shall be credited to the General Fund; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the funds made available in this item shall be the only funds available for the program, and the department shall not spend funds for the program in excess of the amount made available in this item; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, 90 days before promulgating any eligibility or benefit changes, the commissioner shall file with the house and senate committees on ways and means and with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives a detailed and comprehensive report setting forth the text of, basis, and reasons for the proposed changes; provided further, that the report shall state exactly which components of the current benefit package shall be altered, and the department's assessment of the effects of such benefit or eligibility changes upon recipient families and the number of families affected by the benefit changes; provided further, the report shall outline all steps that the department has taken to avoid or mitigate any such benefit changes; provided further the report shall detail the savings realized by any such changes to benefits or eligibility; and provided further that no benefit changes shall go into effect prior to January 17, 2011

General Fund 95.938%

FMAP Budget Relief Fund 4.062%

83,571,621

84,658,966

Veto Explanation:
I am vetoing this language and reducing this amount because none of the enhanced FMAP funds have been received from or committed by the federal government.